Veneer-machine.



.Httorn E P SMITH VENBBR MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 3,1905.

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EDWIN F. SMITH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO EDWIN F. SMITH COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

vENEER-MCHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1905.

Application filed February 3, 1905. Serial No. 244,038.

T0 all whom, if 11i/Cty concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN F. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State .of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Veneer-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to veneer-machines of that type wherein the wood to be cut into veneers is attached to a support termed a L stay-log7 and isby it reciprocated past a knife supported by a stationary knife-bar, said knife-bar being fed toward the stay-log the thickness of the veneer after each stroke of the stay-log. In this class of machines the stay-log is reci-procated by cranks or like operating devices, and it is usual to steam or boil the wood which is to be cut into veneers and secure it to the stay-log while hot. Thus the stay-log, which is formed of metal, becomes heated and tends toexpand. Under these conditions the expansion of the stay-log tends to bind the cranks or operating devices in their bearings and in some cases to buckle the stay-log, thus producing veneers of irregular thickness and uneven character. The knife-bar is likewise subjected to the same tendency to expand as it cuts the hot timber, and when rigidly attached to its Ways, as usual, the same objectionable character of veneers are produced as in the case of the stay-log expansion referred to. These objections are particularly emphasized in cutting veneers of any considerable extent.

Vith these defects in view the object of the present invention is to provide a veneer-machine of the character referred to in which all tendency of the stay-log or knife-bar to buckle is removed, free expansion in one direction is permitted, and a device is provided which will cut veneers of regular and uniform character from hot timbers of any usual size.

The invention consists of the parts and combinations, as will be hereinafter more fully described in connection with the drawings forming part of this specification and then definitely pointed outl in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front view of sufficient of a veneer-machine of the general type referred to, showing the present invention applied thereto, some of the parts being broken away to show the details beyond. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the stay-log and its operative connections on the line 2 2, Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. I is a corresponding section on line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, A represents any usual form of stay-log formed, preferably, of metal and having the grooves c a, in which the usual clamps (not necessary to describe), are mounted for securing the hot timber to the stay-log,A

such parts being of old and usual form and construction.

Prior to this invention it was customary to move or reciprocate the stay-log past the knifebar by means of a pair of cranks the pins of which had fixed bearings in the stay-log. The objection to such form of operating means was that upon expansion of the stay-log, due to the heated timber supported thereby, the stay-log would buckle or warp between the fixed crank-pins. In the present invention, however, to overcome this defect one of the crank-pins has a relative fixed bearing in the stay-log, near one end thereof, and the other crank-pin has a longitudinally-movable bearing near the opposite end of the stay-log, whereby uponheating and consequent expansion of the stay-log such expansion may take place freely lengthwise of the stay-log from the crank-pin having the fixed bearing, as will appear.

In the present embodiment of the invention, B B', Figs. 1 and 2, represent the usual shafts for operating the stay-log A, and O Othe movement of the stay-log, a fiange d2 beingv provided on the crank-pin and a plate Z3 on the countersunk face of the stay-log to hold the crank-pin and stay-log in proper relation. It will be obvious that other forms of connection between the crank-pin D and stay-log may suggest themselves within the scope of the present invention. In fact, the connection of the crank-pin D with the stay-log may be of any usual character to maintain the parts in fixed relation. Near the other end the staylog A is provided with a rectangular or suitably-shaped opening e', supplied with a similarly-shaped bushing c, fitting the opening snugly at the top and bottom, as shown in Fig. l, but providing a. space e2 e at each side IOO of the bushing, whereby the expansion and contraction of the stay-log may take place freely to the right or left from the crank-pin D, near the opposite end of the stay-log, without danger of buckling the stay-log or cramping the crank-pins. A ring e3 on the crankpin D and a plate et, countersunk into the face of the stay-log, secure the crank-pin and stay-log in operative relation. From this construction it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that the stay-log will be permitted to expand lengthwise from the crank-pin D, the bushing c at such times appearing nearer one or the other end of the rectangular opening e in the stay-log, thus enabling the stay-log to present an even and uniform supportingsurface for the timber carried thereby.

rIhe knife-bar F, Fig. 1, may be of the construction common to this type of machine, its details of structure and the knife forming no part of the present invention. At each side of the machine are the operating screws or shafts f f for moving the knife-bar toward the stay-log after each complete reciprocation of the latter, and these may be of any usual or preferred form and operated by any usual means well understood by those skilled in the art.

In order that the knife-bar may be guided in its movement toward the stay-log after each reciprocation of the latter, tracks or ways G G', are provided, one on each side of the machine. The knife-bar, as previously stated, is subjected to the expansion tendency due to the heat of the timber being cut, so that where the knife-bar is guided on its ways or tracks G Gr by unyielding projections closely fitting the tracks or ways, as Gr G, buckling of the knife-bar is liable to take place. In the present invention, however, I have overcome this defect by providing one side of the knife-bar with clamping or embracing lugs g g, closely fitting the track or way Gr, and the other side of the knife-bar with embracing-lugs g g', loosely fitting' about the track or way G. From this it will be evident that any expansion due to heat action will be freely permitted at the track or way G', while the track or way G will maintain that end of the knifebar fixed. Thus the expansion and contraction take place in a determined and known direction, buckling of the knife-bar is prevented, and uniform quality of veneer results.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a veneer-machine of the character described, the combination of a stay-log for cairying the timber to be cut, means for operatively moving said stay-log, said means comprising a crank, a pin carried thereby having a xed relation to the stay-log near one end thereof and a crank carrying a pin having a variable relation to the stay-log near the other end thereof and operating devices for said cranks, whereby the stay-log may expand and contract under the varying heat of the timber carried thereby and buckling of the stay-log or binding of the crank-pins in their bearings is prevented.

2. In a veneer-machine of the character described, the combination of a stay-log for carrying the timber to be cut into veneers,a knifebar adjacent thereto, a crank and crank-pin disposed near one end of the stay-log, a bushing fixedly mounted in the stay-log and engaged by said crank-pin, a crank and crankpin near the opposite end of said stay-log, a bushing movable relatively lengthwise of said stay-log toward and from the fixed bushing, said movable bushing being engaged by the last-named crank-pin, whereby expansion of the stay-log from the heat of the timber may be permitted lengthwise between the crankpins to avoid buckling.

3. In a veneer-machine of the character described, the combination of a knife-bar, ways on which said knife-bar is mounted, embracing-lugs secured to the knife-bar and closely engaging on each side of the ways at one end of the knife-bar, embracing-lugs secured to the knife-bar at the other end thereof and extending on each side of the ways at that end of the knife-bar, said last-named embracinglugs being disposed a greater distance from their supportingvway or track than the embracing-lugs at the opposite end of the knifebar to provide a space between them and the ways.

4. In a veneer-machine of the character described, the combination of a stay-'log and knife-bar, cranks having pins for operatively moving the stay-log, one of said crank-pins having a fixed relation to the stay-log and the other crank-pin having a Varying' relation to the stay-log lengthwise thereof, a knife-bar, means for holding the knife-bar to prevent movement thereof endwise at the end thereof adjacent the crank-pin having a varying relation to the stay-log, and means to yieldingly hold the end of the knife adjacent the fixed crank-pin of the stay-log so that the stay-log and knife-bar may expand in opposite directions due to heat.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN F. SMITH.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS GooDHUE, J r., HOWARD M. LONG.

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